Dr. Christian Koch holds a PhD in Religious Studies and has an interdisciplinary background in Global Art History (M.A. Transcultural Studies) as well as Near Eastern Archaeology. His academic career is marked by a strong international focus, research-oriented teaching, and a high degree of conceptual independence. At Heidelberg University, he has independently designed and taught several seminars.

He has many years of academic teaching experience, extensive skills in didactic planning, and a deep understanding of intercultural processes. In his dissertation, he worked with the theoretical tools of Actor-Network Theory (Bruno Latour), the aesthetics of religion, and cultural branding analysis. The dissertation combines perspectives from the sociology of religion, media theory, and ethnography, and examines Buddhist symbolism in urban branding processes. This research exemplifies his interest in the intersection of religion, public discourse, aesthetics, and societal change.

Through his Master’s degree in Transcultural Studies (Global Art History), he received comprehensive methodological training in global historical, postcolonial, and visual-aesthetic approaches. His Master’s thesis critically examined the Humboldt Forum Berlin and its museological handling of colonial heritage. Already during his Bachelor’s studies, he explored the iconoclastic destruction of the Bamiyan Buddha statues in a Religious Studies-based paper. These projects highlight his longstanding interest in the public visibility and reinterpretation of religious artefacts within the tensions between politics, aesthetics, and memory culture.

His expertise lies at the intersection of religious, cultural, and visual studies. He works analytically and is well-versed in academic practices – whether in teaching, research coordination, or project management. In addition to his university career, he also brings experience in academic assistance and in developing digital teaching and learning formats.